India is a country that has always put emphasis on the balance between professional and personal life, from the ancient scriptures of the subcontinent to every modern magazine around the world would speak of the same, especially in times of greater awareness towards Mental health and psychological well-being for employees and the working class all around the globe. In the light of such developments, a particular controversy sheds light on the popular attitude towards work-life balance and the importance of not overworking oneself in greed of monetary profits at the cost of one's life and health. Let us look at the case in question, followed by comparison of the working culture in various countries across the globe.
A Look At The Context Of The Controversy
Holding a top position in India, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is an Indian multinational conglomerate that recently hit the headline after a specific comment was made by its Chairman and Managing Director, S.N. Subrahmanyan. His call for a 90-hour workweek has raised questions on work culture, employees and productivity, not only in India but around the world. Let us take a look at what exactly stirred up the pot of this controversy.
Subrahmanyan, during interaction, said that he wished employees worked on Sundays asking, “What do you do sitting at home?” How long can you look at your wife? For how long can the wife look at her husband? When you get to the office, get to work.” He also added, "Chinese people work 90 hours per week while American people work for 50 hours only.” When you want to be on top of the world then you will be working 90 hours a week.
A Global Comparison
The controversy over the proposed change to work longer hours is not unique to India. Across the world there is growing concern for the results of long working hours on the health and performance of workers. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report of 2021, working continuously for many hours could result in major health risks such as heart disease and stroke. It is also important to note that the lack of proper rest and work stress would cause employees to work under extreme pressure, leading to psychological distress which may in turn have devastating effects on their lifestyle and living habits– even possibly, impacting their performance at work. So, that begs the question–is this really necessary?
To find an answer, let us compare the work culture of various countries. Here's a deeper dive of global work hours, cultural differences, and trends in employee productivity.
India
Average Work Hours: Employees in India put in 48-50 hours per week, making it one of the highest across the world.
Cultural Perspective: Long hours are often accepted because people believe that hard work means positive economic change.
Debate: The statement in support of extended work hours advocated by Subrahmanyan is an example of how traditional work ethic is pitted against more recent discourse on employee burnout.
China
The 996 System: The working model known as “996”(working from 9 to 9, six days a week) has become notorious in the technological sectors.
Backlash: It has been linked to deaths being caused by overwork with cases like the deaths of workers at big firms like Alibaba.
Reform Efforts: Chinese courts have mandated overtime work as being unlawful and that the legislation should safeguard workers.
United States Of America
Average Work Hours: The average working American puts in about 41 hours per week and is highly focused on the level of productivity.
Cultural Outlook: Many people work extremely hard in the United States, sometimes even neglecting their health, and there is an increasing, but still not fully prevalent, discourse about burnout.
Policy Debate: Some solutions have been brought up to fight stress, including paid vacations and flexible working hours.
Japan
The “Karoshi” Phenomenon: Japan is currently grappling with overwork death. Which is also referred to as “karoshi.”
Government Intervention: In order to solve this problem, the government passed a legislation placing a ceiling on working overtime.
Changing Trends: Millennials and generation Y do not care about the company’s loyalty as much as previous generations and they value work-life balance.
Europe
Work-Life Balance as a Norm:
France: Adopts a 35 hour work week and legislation which permits employees to delete work-related emails upon leaving work.
Germany: Restricted by law to work 48 hours in a week and discourages the workers to work for long hours.
Experimentation: For example, Iceland and Spain pilots tested the four-day working week where the results indicated that productivity as well as staff morale improved.
South Korea
Cultural Transition: South Korea used to have one of the longest workweeks but the government has recently lowered the legal maximum to 52 hours.
Impact: This change is to increase the low birth rate and to relieve the pressure of the employees who work in Japan.
Nordic Countries
Leading in Balance:
Sweden: Trials of half day work have demonstrated increased satisfaction and productivity of the employees.
Finland: Supporters of change in working hours under the “Working Hours Act” focusing on autonomy.
Middle East and Africa
Diverse Patterns:
UAE: Currently adopted the 4 and a half day work week to better match up with global markets.
Sub-Saharan Africa: Most employees undertake informal employment, and many of them work more than the formal working hours to meet the economic needs.
Effects of an Exploitative Work Culture– An International Perspective
1. Health Concerns: According to WHO, working for many hours a day raises the susceptibility to cardiac problems and strokes.
2. Economic Impact: Fatigue is the end result of overworking and even though the workers spend many hours in the workplace, they rather become less productive.
3. Shift in Priorities: Millennials and generation Z globally expect workplaces that are friendly for their health, free-schedule oriented, and meaningful.
Conclusion
The controversy around L&T's 90-hour workweek remark underscores a global dichotomy: the battle between economic growth and people’s health and their ability to work to the level expected of them. As India and China are still trapped in culminating in an uncontrolled culture of continuously working, Nordic countries and parts of Europe exhibit how optimum balance can increase efficiency as well as the quality of life. While the business and governments are trying to cope up with the new dynamic workforce, the L&T debate gives the standard by which work is being evaluated.